I was waiting for someone to take the lead on this one

If DJ-ing doesn't give you the willies, why not do it full-time? Better money, less gear, no skill (at least playing or singing) needed...

Why bother learning all those pesky tunes, and arranger OS's? Just hit play...

Why not just "do it all" & fill your pockets with cash.......support you family and make people happy all around. Nothing wrong with it for sure.

Wow. So predictable how me simply asking for an "Electric Boogie Midi" so quickly took a steep slide back to the Synthzone midi vs arranger mode play debate again.

Ok, here's what I've decided to do for my client's request for the Electric and Cha-Cha Slide. I realize that no way would I be able to (or would I want even to) pull it off, so I'm simply going to hand over the stage to Mr. C the Slide Man & Grandmaster Slice and let THEM walk the audience thru the song & dance steps, and this will allow me to take a deserved break too.

Mr. C (aka: Casper) the Slide Man: Cha-Cha Slide

GrandMaster Slice:
The Electric Slide (Shall We Dance)


Scott

Most venues I play have DJ's AND live musicians. Each does their 'thing', and the less crossover between repertoires, the better.

Line dance hiphop songs, hardcore rap, electronica... If the audience wants these, let the DJ play them. That's what he's best at. If they want music with a human soul, visual flair and emotion, let the musicians play that...

Everybody wins.

Every gig has to be judged on its own merits. When only a limited set of DJ style dance material is required, I'm perfectly willing to oblige. It's a win-win situation: the client doesn't have to hire an expensive DJ for an entire evening's fee just for the 'line dance' set, I get paid well, and it gives me the opportunity to showcase my LIVE 'keyboard/vocal Act' to an audience who may have never heard me otherwise. The big pay off for me is the exposure it provides to tap into more future gig opportunities with new fans & clients. - Scott

Scott

I've heard you sing, Scott. I don't think that either of those line dances would present a challenge to you OR your arranger (still Tyros2?).

Why let the DJ do what you already can?

hmmm. me rap? Hey, could you imagine Michael Buble doing this? It might get by for some older middle age audiences perhaps, but the younger dance crowd EXPECTS it to sound exactly like Master Slice or Casper and I'm smart enough to realize at best I'd only look like a fool merely imitating a rap artist. My belief is to keep the younger audience happy giving them what they want, and being rewarded in return with their appreciation for my specialty: my rendition of pop standards - rock & country: 20's to present day).

btw: I'm planing to add James Blunt's recent hit " You're Beautiful " and Peter Cincotti's song: " Goodbye Philadephia " to my performance repetoire. I think they're both terrific songs. Does anybody else do these songs? I don't plan to or want it to sound exactly the same as the orignal, but give it my own take & interpretation, yet still retain the essence of the original. Curious what Yamaha style people are using or might suggest to use for these two great contemporary tunes.

Scott

"If DJ-ing doesn't give you the willies, why not do it full-time? Better money, less gear, no skill (at least playing or singing) needed..."

Diki,

I already did....take the plunge. Resisted it for a long time and then realized by doing DJ work, I can play the live music I want to on the keyboard instead of the music I HAVE to.

Don't think being a DJ is a cakewalk. There's a lot to it if you want to do it properly and be successful.

One of the unexpected benefits I got from it is that for the first time in my life I wasn't glued to a keyboard

The progression went something like this:

Buy the equipment, play the discs on the job, do the job…..basic stuff. Then you start getting bored just playing discs, so you begin to kibbutz with the audience between songs. Then you get bored just “talking” to your audience from your platform, so you come out from behind the DJ table and interact with them on the dance floor. Then you get bored with that and you start to LEAD them around the dance floor. Then you get bored with that and you throw some Karaoke discs on and sing to them something they can dance to.

There’s your “win-win” situations. You’re happy and the audience is too. You’re now a full-fledged entertainer, singing Karaoke songs, and “leading your audience” (most audiences WANT to be “led” in addition to being entertained) without having to back yourself up playing behind a board for the first time in your life.

Synopsis: I can thank DJ-ing for bringing me out from behind my keyboard to a point where I can sing to and talk to and “work” a crowd with just me and the mike……no keyboard. It’s an incredible feeling that I would never have gotten to had I not taken the DJ plunge! It’s made me a more versatile entertainer when I play live.

Scott is right about you bring the whole kit and kaboodle. Every crowd nowadays wants something different and usually unexpected. It’s like the Boy Scouts….“always be ready.”

The only down side to all of this is that with music and technology going in so many directions, it’s hard to keep up with things on all fronts.

I wish the peaceful Moon River days were back!

Lucky

It all sounds wonderful. I can't wait until I stroke out and have to do that for a living!

Seriously, Lucky, the thing is, were you fully employed BEFORE you started DJ-ing? Did you enjoy playing keyboards, were you REALLY good at it?

If you were, why on earth start doing that.? And if you weren't, you MIGHT try to understand the reaction of players that ARE. I honestly have never had to consider doing karaoke or DJ-ing for my audiences, because somehow, they magically seem pretty damn happy with what I already do...

Just play, and sing.

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 04-29-2008).]

Where's the General DJ Forum, anyway?

I think there's a need, Nigel...